Arn-Identified Flying Objects and Alien Friends released a series of singles and a double album in 2021. The latter, co-produced by the famous David Myhr (from the Merrymakers), combines elements of power pop, folk, and indie rock, but while many of the songs are founded in musical soil from the 1960s and 1970s, there's no nostalgia here. The words are passionate and beautiful, occasionally satirical, but always current and honest. The song 'Someone Told Me That You Were Dead' is about love, desire, and loss. This is the album version of a song that was initially released as a single (which in many aspects is better).
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Arn-Identified Flying Objects and Alien Friends, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What have you been up to over the past year in this big old mess?
Hi Kamil. A strange year, or a as you put it, in this “big mess”. Like everybody else I’ve done my best to cope with months of lockdown and isolation, and then with trying to adjust back to “normal” life - while wrapping up my first shot as a solo artist of sorts: the releases of four singles and a double album (“17 BIRDS AT THE SUMMER’S GATE”). Looking back I don’t know how I managed it all. - I should mention that I didn’t do it ALL on my own. Many good friends (Swedish prince of Power Pop, David Myhr, and the bandmates in Redmoon, and) played an important role in finishing the recordings.
Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician.
Well, there are magic, even euphoric moments. When you write a new song without really trying and it sort of writes itself; when you suddenly FEEL that a song take is close to perfect; or when you hear a recording you’ve been working on for so long suddenly coming to life. But to be honest, these moments are quite rare. Usually the process of writing, recording and eventually mixing – for me, that is - is just frustrating, or even downright painful!
Your latest song is 'Someone Told Me That You Were Dead'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
I wrote this song several years ago. I had originally hoped to record it with Redmoon, although we hadn’t played together regularly for a few years. COVID 19 definitely killed that idea, and I realized that I had to do the recording – and the recording of the other songs on 17 BIRDS – on my own. On this song in particular I had difficulties finding the right atmosphere and arrangement; I made several attempts. It wasn’t until David Myhr stepped in as a co-producer and gave the song a softer, sweeter approach that the pieces fell into place. It is, after all, a song of love, longing and loss. - By the way, David’s the one doing the wonderful Beach Boys-like backing vocals on the track.
Have you ever participated in any music competitions? Did you win any prizes?
Being something of an introvert, and in a way self-conscious in an almost paranoic way, competitions of this kind scares the hell out of me. So the answer there is no.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Yeah, I do read a lot. In fact I’ve been reading books a lot my whole life. It’s interesting. I’ve met crazy-talented musicians who play and sing wonderfully, and write real fine music – but have enormous difficulties writing lyrics, or think they have these difficulties. I’m not saying my lyrics are fantastic or even OK – others be a judge of that - but the sight of a pen and an empty paper sheet doesn’t frighten me. And I think that all this reading, all these years of bathing in written words, might have helped me on the way there.
Is there another musician you've mentored or trained? Describe what you've done to help them.
It’s the other way around: After all these years I still consider other musicians in my circle of friends as MY mentors. The idea of going solo and recording on my own is in a way out of character. I’ve played in bands since I was a teenager, but have in many respects relied on others. I think my song-writing at times is pretty solid, but I totally lack confidence when it comes playing guitar or singing. If somebody says he or she likes my voice I’d suspect that person’s trying to pull my leg.
Can you write what was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
It’s been quite a few years since I performed live – we’d have to go back to the Redmoon days. I won't mention ONE occasion in particular there, but there are once again these rare moments - when you feel you have the voice, when there’s energy and life in the playing, when the people in front of you cheer and sing along and wear open faces. - The happiest performance in my life was probably the very first one. I was 16 and played the drums in a band with a lot of attitude and feeling (and not much more, though we would improve). It must have been a complete mess from a musical point of view, but we didn’t realize that, of course. I look back at the performance with a lot of tenderness. It probably was the worst of them all, actually – but for me personally, the most important.
When you are working through problems in your work, who do you talk to?
That depends. When Redmoon was active I simply discussed matters of this kind with the other band members. That’s a huge difference from working on your own. You’ll have to sort things out by yourself. That isn’t necessarily a just a bad thing. But it’s a lonely thing. I should add, again, that my co-producer David Myhr and the old members in Redmoon, from time to time have stepped in as musical therapists while recording 17 Birds. Thing is, you don’t want to do that too often, you don’t want to tire them. It’s not, after all, their project.
What's the best piece of advice another musician ever gave you?
I think I read this somewhere, though I might have rephrased it in my memory: “The crucial thing is not to do it good, but to DO IT:” In moments of doubt and – there are such moments, after all - I keep reminding me this. And if you just do it, it might turn out just fine. If you keep repeating that you gotta do it GOOD, there’s a risk you will get stuck in the creative process and just give it all up.
What are your plans for next year? Do you have any productions ready to be released?
I wrote a bunch of new songs this summer (2021). The plan is to release two singles in 2022, and a full-length album by the end of the year (or early in 2023) with David Myhr as co-producer. We’ve started recording, and it’s turning fine, but dear Lord, recording TAKES TIME!